Chương 17: Bonus Chapter: Growing Obsession
"Playing with fire is fun, until you get burned."
— From somewhere on the Internet that I read
"Freedom is the possibility of isolation. If it is impossible for you to live alone, you were born a slave."
— Fernando Pessoa
"Some people are like enigmas: the more we try to unravel them, the more we feel compelled to decipher them."
— Nilloen
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Two young women walked through the busy streets of the United States, catching the attention of anyone who passed them.
Their nearly identical appearances seemed to come from a shared dream. Their facial features were delicate and harmonious, but the aura around them was anything but gentle—an unsettling combination of beauty and danger.
The eldest had long brown hair that slid like silk over her shoulders, dancing in the gentle afternoon breeze. Her eyes, though serene, emitted something that only those who looked deeply could perceive.
Beside her, a young woman with brown hair, tied in two pigtails, walked with a relaxed posture. Her expressions were a reflection of indestructible confidence.
The difference between the two, besides the style of their hair, was in their subtle personalities, and... in a physical detail that Evelyn always picked on.
"Lili—"
"Evelyn, I already told you not to call me that anywhere," interrupted the girl with loose hair, her voice sweet, but with a hint of warning.
"Um. I'm sorry, Camila," Evelyn replied, without much enthusiasm. Her voice had the same apathetic tone as always, but the slight smile that appeared on her lips betrayed her contained irritation at the topic she was about to discuss. "My dear sister," she continued, her tone almost venomous.
"Tell me, my little Evelyn?" Camila—or Lilith, as she really preferred to be called—responded with an innocent smile, her lips curved in a delicate curve that hid her true nature.
"When are we going to get rid of that idiot teacher? He's starting to get on my nerves with his constant staring. I feel like I'm going to explode every time he dares to look at me," Evelyn snapped, her voice turning icy as her face took on a more sinister expression.
Camila held up a finger theatrically, as if pondering something deeply. Her eyes glinted with malicious excitement as she brought her finger to the side of her mouth, adopting an expression of mock contemplation.
"Hmm… maybe in a week. He's still useful until the end of the exams, isn't he? Let's keep him around for a little while longer. And after that… we can make him disappear." Her voice softened at the end, but the cruelty in her words became undeniable. Her eyes glinted with disturbing excitement, and the smile that had once been sweet now seemed like a sadistic promise.
Evelyn nodded slowly, a small, satisfied smile forming on her lips. It was a smile that only those closest to her recognized as a harbinger of trouble.
The sisters continued walking, chatting about everyday matters with a disturbing ease.
Discussions about Camila's studies, Evelyn's progress in kickboxing, and what they would do with her "scr—" followers flowed effortlessly, as if they were everyday topics for any normal person.
Tap, tap, tap.
The distant sound of quickened footsteps echoed through the street. The sisters initially ignored it, as if the outside world was irrelevant to their own narrative. They were the queens of their own stories, and trivial little incidents like that didn't deserve their attention.
Tap, tap, tap…
The sound grew louder and closer.
"Come back here!" A male voice boomed angrily, cutting through the background noise of the city. The two sisters stopped, their eyes meeting with a mixture of curiosity and boredom.
Turning around, they saw the source of the commotion: a dark-skinned boy running desperately, with a Flash mask partially covering his face. He was laughing, his breathing heavy, while a group of four other boys chased him with evident fury.
"I'm the Flash, you'll never catch me!" the boy shouted, his voice filled with a mixture of defiance and adrenaline. He was, in fact, gaining distance from his pursuers, although fatigue was already beginning to show in his movements.
Camila sighed, watching the scene like someone watching a cheap theater. "What a pathetic scene," she muttered, with an expression of boredom.
Evelyn, however, watched with a glint of curiosity in her eyes. "Sister…" she began, her voice low, but with a touch of interest she didn't usually show. "Should we intrude?"
Camila smiled, but this time it wasn't just a sneer. It was a predatory smile. "Maybe it'll be fun… If those idiots keep running towards us, we can teach them a little lesson."
Evelyn's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Finally, something to break the boredom."
The two sisters stood still, their postures firm and unfazed, as if the hunt unfolding before them was just another insignificant distraction in the course of their day. However, the masked boy running towards them seemed to have a different idea.
The masked boy ran as if his life depended on it. His lungs burned, fatigue building in his legs as the other boys chased after him, but he knew he still had a chance.
His eyes focused on the two figures in front of him.
From afar, they appeared to be just two young women walking along unassumingly, but as he got closer, Gabriel noticed the details—Evelyn's prepared posture, and Camila's attentive gaze, as if she were thinking about what to do when they arrived.
He felt like he had seen them before, their posture and aura screamed power and danger.
The boy thought about shouting for them to get out of the way, but he gave up on the idea almost immediately. A new idea came to him, one that was much more fun and daring. Smiling beneath his mask, he accelerated as much as he could, his feet pounding the asphalt with determination.
The two sisters stared at each other for a brief moment, noticing the masked boy approaching.
Evelyn took a step forward, placing herself between Camila and the boy who was coming towards her. Her body stiffened, her eyes now focused on the boy who was coming. "If this idiot tries anything..." Evelyn thought, with the characteristic coldness that accompanied her in moments of combat.
However, the masked man did not slow down. He looked Evelyn straight in the eyes, as if he were challenging her. She felt a surge of adrenaline when she realized the clear intention in his gaze. A confrontation was about to happen.
At the last second, when Gabriel seemed about to collide directly with Evelyn, he thrust out his arm, making a quick jab, as if to attack her directly.
Evelyn, with sharp reflexes, immediately raised her guard, her fists rising to intercept the blow.
The expected impact, however, never arrived.
In an almost fluid movement, the boy changed his trajectory. The jab was a perfect feint. He took advantage of the space Evelyn left as she prepared to attack and, with surprising agility, slid next to her, passing both sisters with ease.
Camila watched everything with a discreet smile, her eyes assessing the boy's technique. "He managed to fool an excellent fighter..."
The boy almost stumbled, losing a little speed due to the maneuver, but he kept running. Even with the wear and tear, the smile on his face only grew. He knew he had consciously entered the state of Flow, even if for a brief moment.
"Thank you, princesses!" he shouted over his shoulder, his voice carrying a mixture of teasing and amusement, as if he knew exactly who they were—and yet dared to play with them.
Evelyn, furious at having been tricked, gritted her teeth, her fists still raised. "Princesses?! Damn you…" Her voice brimmed with suppressed anger, but something else—an irritating curiosity began to rise within her. Who was this boy to dare do this?
Camila, on the other hand, just watched, her lips curling into a more noticeable smile now. "Interesting, don't you think?" She muttered, still looking at where Gabriel had disappeared.
"Interesting? He provoked us!" Evelyn retorted, clearly outraged.
"Yes, but he was… bold." Camila replied, almost laughing. "I like that."
Evelyn looked at her sister, confused for a moment, before feeling a twinge of irritation. Bold? That wasn't a word she would normally hear Camila use to describe someone.
The masked boy disappeared from the two sisters' sight, running with a satisfied smile on his face as he disappeared around the corner. He had escaped, at least for now.
His pursuers, frustrated and determined, were still focused on catching Gabriel. They came running with heavy steps, anger written all over their faces, as they passed the Ainsworth sisters without paying attention.
However, before they could move forward, a single word stopped them all.
"Stop."
Camila's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable authority, as if it were an order given by someone high up in the sky. The four boys' steps immediately stopped, their legs locking in place as if they had been enchanted. Each of them stiffened, slowly turning to face the two sisters.
They knew them well—Camila and Evelyn Ainsworth, the two most feared and admired girls in the school. They were almost like royal figures, with a presence that intimidated anyone who dared to challenge them. Although no one directly called them "princesses," the title hung over them like an invisible, indisputable crown.
"You… should know what you're doing," Camila continued, her tone calm, but her eyes glinting with a hint of mischief. "Why are you chasing that boy?"
The four of them stood still, exchanging nervous glances. One of them, apparently the leader of the group, swallowed hard before answering, trying to maintain his composure.
"He... he was teasing us," the leader began, his voice shaking slightly under the watchful eyes of the sisters. "He thought he could make fun of us in front of everyone."
Evelyn huffed, crossing her arms as she surveyed the boys with contempt. "And you're chasing after him because of a childish provocation? Honestly, how pathetic."
The other boys lowered their heads in shame. The mere presence of the sisters was enough to make them question their own actions. There wasn't much they could say in front of those two.
Camila smirked, enjoying the absolute control she had over the situation. "Let him go. That masked boy, whoever he is, isn't worth the effort."
The boys hesitated for a moment, but they knew that when Camila Ainsworth gave an order, there was no room for disobedience. And, to be honest, none of them wanted to risk the sisters' wrath.
"Yes, of course, sorry..." the leader replied, his voice low, resigned.
Camila gave a small nod. "Now go."
Without another word, the four boys turned and began to walk away, walking quickly down the street, their heads lowered in defeat.
When they were out of sight, Evelyn let out an irritated sigh. "Cowards. All of them."
Camila just laughed softly, still watching the direction the masked man had disappeared in. "Yes, but our little masked hero isn't a coward, is he?"
Evelyn gave her sister a confused look. "Are you interested in this boy? He's just another idiot in a mask."
Camila turned to her, her eyes shining with curiosity. "Don't be so quick to judge, Evelyn. He had the audacity to try to trick us and escape. And he succeeded." She paused, the smile returning to her face. "That, my dear sister, is not something that happens every day."
Evelyn huffed, still irritated by the fact that she had been tricked. "I can hunt him down next time, and you'll see how fragile he is."
Camila raised an eyebrow. "Maybe. But for now, let's keep him in mind. Something tells me he won't be so easy to ignore."
The two sisters continued walking down the street, chatting about their future plans, but now with a new element on their minds: the masked boy who dared to play with them.
***
The room was quiet, the monotonous sound of the teacher's voice filling the air. Natural light illuminated the rows of disinterested students, while Evelyn was busy staring at the board with a cold gaze.
Sitting at the back of the room, Evelyn crossed her arms, trying not to explode with irritation. She felt the teacher's gaze on her for the tenth time in forty minutes.
"Human trash," she thought, her fingers tightening impatiently on the desk.
She looked away, not wanting to fuel her contempt for the man any further. She searched for something to distract her mind, her eyes roaming the classroom. It was then that she spotted him—a dark-skinned boy, sitting in the back, not far from her. He rested his head on his palm, looking completely bored.
The boy didn't look at her. In fact, he looked like he was on the verge of falling asleep.
Evelyn stared at the board for a moment, trying to focus on the content of the lesson again, but her mind betrayed her. She looked back at the boy. Only this time, he had already lowered his head, sleeping soundly, as if the world around him didn't exist.
Lilith, who was in the chair next to Evelyn, had also noticed the boy. She didn't say anything, but there was something in the look she exchanged with her sister. They knew they had seen him before.
A comfortable silence settled between them, both intrigued, but not giving it any immediate importance.
A bell for recess announced the end of class, and the sisters stood gracefully, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room. The teacher tried to give Evelyn one last look, but she ignored him, leaving without a word.
***
The school was bustling, with students running around and arguing about the tests that had just finished. Lilith and Evelyn walked calmly through the halls, as if all the chaos didn't affect them. The week of tests had been easy for them, and now all that was left was to deal with the boredom of the rest of the day.
As they walked, a commotion coming from one of the nearby hallways caught their attention. Groups of students were crowding together, creating a natural barrier around a fight.
Lilith raised an eyebrow, curious. Evelyn sighed, knowing that this was just another display of "youthful idiocy." However, something seemed different this time.
The two sisters got closer, enough to see what was happening. At the center of the commotion was once again the boy they had seen in the classroom, the same one who had been sleeping peacefully a few days ago. Only this time, he didn't seem so peaceful.
The boy was in the middle of a heated fight, and around him, four other young people were trying to surround him. However, he didn't seem the least bit intimidated. A slight, almost provocative smile formed on his lips as he dodged and counterattacked with some difficulty.
Evelyn noticed many flaws in the boy's movements. It seemed like he had no one to train him.
Before they left, Lilith heard something that made her curiosity arouse even more.
"Huh? You didn't like Flash from a few days ago, did you?" The boy's playful voice echoed through the hallway, making the other students look at each other, confused.
Lilith and Evelyn froze for a moment. "Flash?" The same boy they had seen running with the speedster's mask the last few days. He was there, and now it made sense.
Evelyn narrowed her eyes, while Lilith kept a slight smile on her lips. They were sure that this boy was not just any student. He seemed to be having too much fun with the chaos around him, and this aroused a certain interest in the sisters.
Without saying a word, the two sisters exchanged meaningful glances before turning around and continuing to walk. But now, the masked boy was definitely marked in their minds.
***
It was a quiet Sunday, and the two sisters, Lilith and Evelyn, were in Lilith's room, waiting for a message.
Only three minutes had passed, but they knew that what they were waiting for would take at least another twenty. Even so, patience was not exactly their strong point.
While they waited, they both stretched together in the center of the spacious and well-decorated room. The muffled sound of the streets did not reach there, creating an atmosphere of calm contrasting with the silent tension between the sisters.
"Why can't I just finish off that despicable being myself?" Evelyn muttered in disdain, her tone thick with disgust as she remembered the teacher. The memory was almost unbearable to bear, his presence during class was enough to destroy any vestige of patience she might have had.
Evelyn was in the splits position with ease, her toned yet slender body highlighting her physical discipline. Her face, however, maintained an expression of disgust as she concentrated on the stretch.
Lilith, beside her, sighed. "If we get caught, we're screwed." Her voice was calm and practical, having already considered every possible scenario.
She, while not as flexible as her sister, was also in the splits position, but her posture revealed more effort. Lilith always trained for health, not so much for brute strength.
Unlike Evelyn, her body was more slender and refined, as if every movement was geared toward maximum efficiency rather than sheer force. She dealt with reality in a pragmatic way, and the problem with the professor would be no exception.
"Hmm." Evelyn grumbled, crossing her arms as she continued stretching, clearly frustrated with the answer.
Silence fell briefly as they both maintained their postures, stretching and waiting. The waiting environment was almost unbearable. Evelyn closed her eyes for a moment, trying to control her growing impatience.
Another five minutes passed when, finally, a sharp sound interrupted the stillness.
Pin.
Lilith's cell phone beeped with a notification. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she picked up the device. "That fast?" She murmured, clearly intrigued. She thought it was impossible for the matter to have been resolved so quickly. "Did the boys get lucky?"
She unlocked her phone, prepared to see a message confirming that the problem with the teacher had been resolved, but what she found was something completely different.
A photo.
The image, taken from a distance, showed an unexpected scene: the teacher lying on the ground, clearly out of action, and in front of him was a boy. The detail that caught her attention the most, however, was the mask the young man was wearing. The mask of the antihero Deadpool.
"What...?" Lilith frowned, enlarging the image to be sure of what she saw. Evelyn, noticing the change in her sister's expression, approached.
"What happened?" Evelyn asked, temporarily putting aside her annoyance.
"Look at this." Lilith handed the phone to her sister, her voice full of surprise and curiosity.
Evelyn looked at the photo, and her eyes quickly narrowed as she recognized the masked figure. "Him again?" There was a mix of surprise and irritation in her voice.
They had seen this boy before, he always seemed to be in places they didn't expect. And now, once again, he appeared, this time in the middle of something that directly involved their intentions.
"This boy is starting to irritate me," Evelyn commented, her fists clenching slightly.
Lilith, however, was not so quick to judge. There was something intriguing about this boy. Who was he? And why was he always in situations that involved the two of them in some way? More importantly: how was he there, apparently taking the place of the boys they had designated?
"There's something strange about him," Lilith commented, picking up her cell phone again and analyzing the image again. "He's not part of the plan... but somehow, he solved our problem."
"Solving the problem isn't enough," Evelyn muttered, her eyes shining with determination. "I want to find out who he really is."
"We'll have to do this carefully." Lilith closed her phone and stood up, putting her stretching aside. "But something tells me this kid isn't someone who's just going to disappear."
Evelyn smiled, but it was a cold smile. "Good. Because I have no intention of letting him off my radar."
With these words, the two sisters exchanged determined glances. For the first time in a long time, they were eager to find out where this would lead.
***
In the classroom, Lilith and Evelyn watched Gabriel with attentive but discreet gazes.
He seemed to be oblivious to anything around him, with his head resting on his palm and his eyes half-closed. The class was going on in the background, but Gabriel was completely disconnected, immersed in his own world of indifference.
From time to time, he would lower his head on the table and simply sleep, without any sign of concern for the rules or the environment.
Evelyn felt a surge of contempt rise in her chest. "How can someone be so careless?" she thought, as she clenched her fists.
Beside him, Lilith maintained an interest in the boy. Something about him intrigued her—maybe it was his lack of fear or respect for the rules. Whatever it was, he captured their attention in a way that no other student could.
***
As the days went by, the Ainsworth sisters dedicated themselves to investigating Gabriel. Through contacts and observations, they discovered that he was originally from Brazil, but had recently moved to the United States.
The reason, however, was shrouded in mystery. Some rumors pointed to problems involving his family, but the details were hazy.
"A boy running away from the past, perhaps?" Lilith pondered, while Evelyn grew more irritated by Gabriel's apathetic behavior. The mystery surrounding him only increased their obsession.
He was a problem they needed to solve—a puzzle that fascinated them and, at the same time, made them impatient.
***
Tired of merely observing and speculating, Lilith and Evelyn decided it was time to confront Gabriel directly. After school ended, they approached him in the hallway and unceremoniously led him to the back of the school, an area where no one rarely passed.
The atmosphere was tense, but Gabriel seemed unconcerned. He followed them without saying a word.
When they reached the secluded spot, Evelyn took the lead, her stance aggressive and intimidating. "Do you think you can keep ignoring everyone like you're untouchable?" she snapped, her voice cold. "You have no idea what we can do to you."
Gabriel, leaning against the wall, crossed his arms and smiled slightly. "Dramatic, aren't they? I'm just trying to sleep peacefully," he said, his tone ironic.
Lilith watched him more carefully—she hadn't expected him to be so calm in the face of such a direct threat. Evelyn, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes, feeling the provocation as a challenge.
"Maybe you need to be taught a lesson," Evelyn threatened, taking a step forward. However, Gabriel was undeterred, his eyes meeting hers with an irritating calmness.
"Hey hey, beating up the weak is cowardice," he replied, with a shaky smile, but without fear.
The sisters didn't know what to make of this attitude, but they sensed that Gabriel wasn't like any of the other students they had ever met. There was something different about him—something that made them hesitate, even if only for a brief second.
Little did they know that their relationship was about to blossom, transforming them in unexpected ways and leading them down an intertwined path into the future.
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Nilloen
Nilloen Bonus chapter for you! I'd like to take this opportunity to let you know that from now on, I'll be releasing 1 or 2 chapters per week. I'm working on another project that takes up my time, and I want to maintain the quality of the chapters. Thank you for your understanding.
And sorry for not responding to comments, I'm not in the habit of doing so, but if I see them and remember (sometimes my memory doesn't work), I'll respond.
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